Grammy Says

Here’s a collection of sayings I (or my family members) frequently hear from my grandmother. She’s chock full of ’em!

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You have to take it how the cook serve it.

We know this one!

He’s not the only star in the sky.

In response to my heartache.

As old as the tongue and as young as the teeth.

When I asked her how old her friend was.

Manners maketh the man.

She said this to me over and over as a child, I remember hearing it most in car rides after school.

Bad company corrupts good people.

Another oft-repeated maxim from my childhood.

Two captains can’t rule one ship!

Whenever she is addressing a conflict that has arisen over disrespect of authority.

Never believe all you hear, and only half of what you see.

She said this to me after I reported some hearsay that put my then-unstable position into even riskier territory.

Crab [don’t?] walk and it get fat. Crab walk too much and it get put in da pot!

She said this to an uncle in conversation one day, and none of us can figure it out. Grammy couldn’t explain it either, it must be something to do with her age. After a quick google search, I think it must be similar to the Trinidadian saying about a lazy person (crab) amounting to nothing, but a too-busy person being brought to grief. (But then there’s this one recorded from Belize, #7 on p.2 which has kind of the opposite meaning for the first half. Interesting…)

You gonna live until they sun you!

Exclaimed after you walk into a room or call after she’s been discussing you with someone else.

Ine raise no suckas roun here!

She’s never said this to me, but my mother and uncles talk about hearing this often as children when they were slacking off from their duties or behaving irresponsibly.

You don’t have to be black and stupid!

Again, she’s never said this to me but I’ve heard plenty of stories about her using this phrase on my mum and uncles.

The perfect man, his ma ain born yet.

Grammy loves love and is always talking to me about relationships. She’s said this a few times to me as an exhortation to be realistic about finding a partner.

If I can help somebody as I travel along then my living will not be in vain.